MarginaliaTonsure maketh not a priest.now of receauing of order and tonsure, by such a mitered bishop & his tonsure: yet, Christ knoweth both howe to make and chuse such as shall well please him, both in conuersation of life, and sincere preaching of the gospel, in ministring to his people all necessary sacramēts. And euery holy man which is a minister of Christ, although he be not shauen, is a true priest ordained of God, although no mitred bishop euer lay his charecter vpō him. so, þ^t the Pope and his prelats, do make more estimation of their Charactors (as tonsures & crownes by them inuented) then of the true & perfect priesthode ordayned of God: where as, all those that are predestinate, are true priestes made of hym.

MarginaliaThe Popes censurs, like the blast of Lucifer.As touching the authoritie of the kayes & censures, no Christian man oughte to esteeme Sathan (whome men call the Pope) and his vniust censures: more then the hissing of a Serpent, or the blast of Lucifer. Also that no man ought to trust or put confidence in the false indulgences of couetous priestes, whych indulgences doo draw away the hope which men ought to repose in god, to a sort of sinfull men, and do robbe the poore of suche almes as is geuen to them: Suche priestes bee manifest betrayers of Christ and of the whole church, and be Sathans owne stuardes to begile Christen soules, by theyr hipocrisie and fayned pardōs. Also, for as much as those prelates and clergy men lyue so execrable a lyfe, contrary to the gospell of Christ, and examples of his Apostles, and teach not truly the gospel, but only Lies, and the traditions of sinfull wicked men: MarginaliaPopishe priests haue not the keyes of heauen but rather of hell.It appeareth most manifestlye, that they haue not the keyes of the kingdome of heauen, but rather the keyes of hell. And they maye bee right well assured, that God neuer gaue vnto them autoritie to make and establish so manye ceremonies and traditions, which be contrary to the libertie of the Gospell, and are blockes in Christen mens wayes, that they can neyther know nor obserue the same hys Gospell, in libertie of consciēce, and so attain a redy way to heauē.

Also, that all manner of religious men, notwithstanding the chapiter Religiosi, touchyng the priuilegies in the Clementines: maye lawfullye minister all sacramentes to them that are worthye the same. For asmuche as the same is a woorke of charitie, whyche onely the wyll and ordinance of the Pope and hys fautours in this case, is to hinder and let. MarginaliaThe popes curse hurteth not, but profiteth.Item, if the pope shall interdict this our realme: that cannot hurt vs, but much profit vs: Because that therby, he should seperate vs from all his wicked lawes, and from the charges of sustayning of so many thousand shauelings, which with small deuotion or none at all, patter and chatter a newe found song secundum vsum Sarum. So that, not whatsoeuer the Pope in his generall councell byndeth in earth, is bound of God in heauē: eyther for that he byndeth vnreasonably, and contradictorely doth against himself, or ells for that he hath forsake the iudgement of God.

As touching the preching of the Gospel: Whosoeuer receaueth or taketh vpon him the office of a priest or of a bishop, and dischargeth not the same by the example of his good conuersation and faythfull preachyng of the Gospell: is a theefe, excommunicate of God, and of holye churche. And further, if the Curates preache not the woord of God, they shall be damned, and if they knowe not how to preach, they ought to resigne their benefices: So that, those prelates which preach not the Gospell of Christ (although they could excuse them selues from the doing of any other euill) are dead in themselues, are Antichristes, and Sathans, transfigured into Aungels of light, night theeues, manquellers by daye lyght, and betrayers of Christ his people.

MarginaliaGossoprye not sufficient cause to restrein matrimony.Concerning the sacrament of Matrimony: Notwithstanding any spirituall kinred or gossoprye, a man and woman may lawfully marrye together by the lawe of God, without anye dispensation papisticall. And in the same place he saith: that if our realme do admit one notborne in matrimonye or illegitimate to the imperial crowne, so that he doth well discharge þ^e office of a king: God maketh hym a kyng, and by consequence doth reiecte an other kyng or heyre of þ^e kingdome, being borne in matrimonie and legitimate: So, for such spirituall kindred there ought no diuorse to be made. Also, notwythstandynge the Cap. Si inter de Sponsalibus: If any man shall make any contracte with any woman by the wordes of the future tence, by an othe taken: and afterwardes, shall with an other woman make the lyke contracte by the words of the present tence: that then the second contracte standeth. Also, if a man make a contracte with a woman by the wordes of the future tence, vpon hys othe taken: and maketh afterwardes the lykecontracte with an other no altering the wordes, and hath carnall copulation vpon the same: the first contracte maketh the matrimonye good, and not the second. MarginaliaThe first mariage lawfully before witnes made, standeth.Also, if a man before witnes assuer hym selfe to a woman by a contracte made in the present tence, and hath children by the same woman: and afterward, the same man maryeth an other woman, with the lyke wordes in the present tence, before witnes: Although the first witnesses be dead, or ells by brybes corrupt, and the second bring his witnesses before the iudge to proue the second contracte: the first contracte yet standeth in force, although þ^e pope (allowing the second contracte) doth compell thē to liue in adulterie against the commaundement of God. Also, he condemneth, the decretall of the restitution of things stolen Cap. Literas tuas: which willeth, that a man and woman hauing carnall copulation in the degree of consanguinitie forbidden, and hath no witnes hereof: If the woman will departe from the man, she shall be compelled by the censures, to remayne with hym, and to yelde her dept. Also, in case where a man hath made contract with two women, with one secretly hauing no wytnes, and with the other openly hauing wytnes: Then were it better to acknowledge the insufficiencie of the lawe, and to suffer men to be ruled by their owne consciences, then by the Censures to compell them, to committe, and lyue in adulterye.

Marginaliakeping & making of vowes.As touching the kepyng and making of vowes: That vowe or othe is beastlye, and is without all discretion made: which to performe and kepe, a man hath no power but by grace geuen hym of God. Because, that some such there be, whom God doth not accept to perseuer in the state of chastitie and perpetuall virginitie: and such a one cannot kepe hys vowe, although he make þ^e same. Also, that euery one making a vowe of continencie or chastitie, whē in makyng the same he shall not be accepted of God: doth very vndiscretlye, & as one without all reason maketh the same, when he is not able of hymself w^tout the gift of God, to fulfil his promise: according to that saying of the wyse man, cap. 8. No mā hath the gift of continencie, vnles that God geue it vnto hym. For otherwyse, if God helpe not such a one to performe the vowe or othe which he hath made and taken: No prelate can compell hym, vnles he do contrarye to Gods ordynaunce: but he ought to commit hymselfe to the gouernment of Gods holy spirite, and hys own conscience.

MarginaliaPossessions of the Church.For the possessions of the church: In an other treatyse it is declared, howe the kyng, the Lordes, and commons, maye without any charge at all, keepe 15. garrisons, and finde 15000. souldiours, (hauyng sufficient landes and reuenewes to liue vpon) out of the temporalties gotten into the handes of the clergye and fayned religious men: whiche neuer doe that, whiche pertayneth to þ^e office of curates to do, nor yet to secular lordes. And moreouer, the kyng may haue euery yeare 20000. pound to come freely in to hys cofers & aboue. Also, maye finde or sustayne 15. Colledges more: and 15000. priestes and clerkes, with sufficient liuyng: and 100. hospitals for the sicke, and euery house to haue one